A review by alundeberg
The Art of Rivalry: Four Friendships, Betrayals, and Breakthroughs in Modern Art by Sebastian Smee

3.0

Engaging look into how four sets of artists influenced each other's art and style. I give this three stars because while the author writes well, the structure jumps around and felt scattered. While others can do this to create a dramatic effect and sense of tension, Smee's use felt disjointed. Sometimes his argument felt forced-- like he was placing more of an impact between the artists than was actually there (I have no doubt the artists felt the influences, but there's a lot that shapes an artist, not just a "rival"). He often will state a blanket statement about art or humanity that is rather tenuous at best and assumes that the reader agrees. I often did not agree with these statements and was not as convinced by him. While it's always fun to get a look into the lives of artists, Smee is trying really hard to fit the evidence and the reader to his conclusions.